Holiday Season Research Articles

Fighting Feasting Fools: Nicolas de Clamanges and the Reform of Saints’ Feast Days

ABSTRACT The French humanist and reformer Nicolas de Clamanges (ca. 1363/64-1437) wrote a blistering treatise against new feasts, De nouis festiuitatibus, which contrasts with his related sermon praising the holy innocents, De sanctis innocentibus. This contrast is ironic because their feast during the Christmas season had become the occasion for out-of-control celebrations known as the Feast of Fools, especially in Clamanges’ northern France. This essay uncovers and contextualizes his complaints within his style of reform: he uses the early church as a model, for instance, and launches into rhetorical flourishes, especially in the sermon. The essay also compares Clamanges’ positions with those of his classmate Jean Gerson (1363-1429) and their shared mentor at the University of Paris Pierre d’Ailly (1351-1420). All three hoped that good devotions come from good intentions, but both intention and devotion must be patrolled for superstition and excess.

Beware of environmental pollution during the vacation!

Üsküdar University Vocational School of Health Services (VSHS) Graduate School of Health Sciences Deputy Director Asst. Prof. İnci Karakaş evaluated the increase in environmental pollution and environmental awareness during the holiday seasons.

Initiatives to Covid-19 Cases: A Trend Analysis

Utilizing the five-tier model of the Theory of Needs by Abraham Maslow, safety from disease outbreaks is a fundamental human need (Mcleod, 2020). As such, this study aims to evaluate the national-level initiatives implemented by the Philippine government through a trend analysis of the number of cases and recoveries from February 27, 2020, until April 26, 2023. Moving averages, trend analysis, content analysis, and systems synthesis were used to develop concrete conclusions. Findings show a direct relationship between the number of COVID-19 cases and recoveries, with a two-week interval between their uptrends. Surges in cases also occur around the holiday season. The most prominent initiatives the government introduced during uptrends in COVID-19 cases are community quarantine protocols, border control measures, and vaccination efforts. Other inventions include engineering and administrative control, economic and financial assistance, open information system, case definitions of COVID-19, management of non-COVID-19 patients, research centers and testing laboratories, remains of COVID-19 cases and PUIs, and strategic planning. These interventions led to an uptrend in COVID-19 recoveries after two weeks. These strategies could be implemented in health emergencies to mitigate its effects and curb further transmission.

Exploring Student Adaptation to Emergency Online Learning: Psychological Readiness and Study Environments

This study explores the influence of study environments on the psychological readiness of students during emergency online learning scenarios in a post-pandemic context. Conducted during a festive season at a Malaysian university, the research examines how factors such as quietness, comfort, internet connectivity, and family dynamics shape the ability of 80 diploma students to adapt to the sudden shift to fully online classes. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through an open-ended survey, and thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes. The findings reveal that conducive study environments, initiated by minimal distractions, comfortable workspaces, reliable internet access, and supportive family interactions, are crucial for enhancing students’ focus and engagement in online learning. The study highlights the need for educational institutions to provide guidelines and resources to help students optimise their study environments. Additionally, it emphasises the importance of fostering family communication strategies to reduce disruptions. These insights offer valuable implications for future emergency learning scenarios, suggesting that targeted interventions could significantly improve student adaptation and academic performance. Future research should further investigate the long-term effects of these environmental factors and the effectiveness of specific interventions in enhancing students’ psychological readiness.

Study the fluctuation of share prices of Maruti-Suzuki and Tata Motors during Indian festival season

Study the fluctuation of share prices of Maruti-Suzuki and Tata Motors during Indian festival season

Exploring Holiday Market Anomaly: Evidence from International security Indexes

Research on financial market anomalies has always been a subject of fascination for researchers and investors alike. Over the years, numerous anomalies and patterns have been identified, one of which was the holiday market anomaly which refers to the recurring and abnormal behavior observed in the stock markets during the holiday season. It is a phenomenon that has captured the attention of scholars and investors due to its potential implications for investment strategies and market efficiency. The aim of this study was to ascertain or rebuff the concept using the most recent data. Accordingly, a t-test statistics was used to analyze data from a sample of six financial markets from June 12, 2018, to June 12, 2023. The findings revealed no evidence of the existence of the holiday market anomaly, at least for the most recent 5 years. A possible reason for the extinction may have been the introduction of new financial products and the spread of numerous investment strategies. Hence, long-term investors are encouraged to prioritize fundamental analysis and a disciplined investment approach, recognizing the limitations and potential risks associated with trading based on the holiday market anomaly.

LONELINESS AMONG INVOLUNTARILY CHILDLESS OLDER ADULTS: A LIFE COURSE PERSPECTIVE

Abstract To this day, having children is seen as the norm, and the consequences in later life when a child wish is not fulfilled are rarely addressed. Therefore, this study investigates the reasons for involuntary childlessness as well as the relationship with potential feelings of loneliness throughout the life course of older adults. Data were collected through individual life story interviews using the McAdams life story interview (N=15) with involuntary childless adults older than 60 living in Belgium. Using a thematic analysis, the results firstly indicate that respondents expressed several reasons for their involuntary childlessness, such as medical reasons, advancing age, career choices and opportunities, partner status and traumas during the life course. Secondly, involuntary childlessness impacts negatively on individual well-being on the one hand, by experiencing feelings of emptiness and deficiency, but on the other hand, having more free time and flexibility during the life course within the social network is perceived as positive. Thirdly, from the moment people realized they would never have children, feelings of loneliness arose. Also, once peers did have (grand)children, or during holiday seasons (e.g., Christmas Day), loneliness feelings became more prevalent compared to earlier in life. However, feelings of loss and emptiness (e.g., missing someone to pass on norms and values to) prevailed over loneliness feelings. The discussion highlights the extent to which older people pick up where they left off and constitute their lives meaningfully at various levels (i.e., at individual level and regarding social relations) when their child wish was never fulfilled.

Od dobrej pani do apostołki kultury. Ewolucja postaw polskich ziemianek kresowych wobec ludności wiejskiej w XIX w.

From the Good Mistress to the Apostle of Culture. The Evolution of the Attitudes of Polish Female Landowners vis‑à‑vis the Rural Population in the Nineteenth Century During the nineteenth century, the personal model of a Borderlands female landownerwas transformed as a result of changes that were economic (enfranchisement), socio‑cultural, and political. The Polish manor house within the Stolen Lands in the nineteenth century became a stronghold of Polish culture, Catholicism, and patriotism, effectively protecting its inhabitants against Russification. Throughout the nineteenth century, the role of the landowner’s manor house remained unchanged, but the relations between the manor and the common people were transformed. Female inhabitants of manors in the first half of the nineteenth century played the role of the “good mistress.” They took care of their subjects, organized refreshments during the holiday season, acted as philanthropists, founders of almshouses, and suppliers of “manor pharmacies.” This pattern began to change in the post‑enfranchisement era. At the end of the nineteenth century and at the beginning of the twentieth century, Polish female landowners became the organizers of secret folk schools, initiated vocational courses, nurseries, and rural theatre and singing clubs. More and more educated women from the Borderlands became involved in social activities for the benefit of the countryside. In this article, I show the evolution of “female virtues” through the prism of relations between the manor house and the local community. The sources for the text are Borderland memoirs, educational publications, and surviving correspondence.

Editorial

Dear Readers There is no doubt that 2023 has inflicted more war, hardships and frustrations upon our world than anyone could have predicted, but we are ready to embrace any and all things that 2024 has to offer. Here are some insights, hopes and dreams for the New Year and the upcoming Christmas: on behalf of the entire Editorial Office of the Archives in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, I would like to wish you, Dear Readers, peace, creative thinking and health. May the Holiday Season be merry, prosperous and rich in inspirations for compelling future works. Meanwhile, this current issue of the APP abounds with interesting reads. We would like to open with “Social cognition and attachment profiles of women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FM): a case-control study” by Beycan Ayhan et al. from Turkyie. In this study, the authors aimed to examine social cognitive and attachment profiles of FM patients. FM patients may have no social cognition impairments, especially in lack of any psychiatric comorbidities. Moreover, they may suffer from the avoidant type of insecure attachment, which may further affect social support seeking behavior they display. The authors conclude that attachment-based interventions may be important in the treatment of the FM Syndrome.

Welcome to the final issue of the College’s Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management for 2023

As the year draws to a close for many of us it is often a time of reflection and thanks. We are a privileged workforce in healthcare as we get to not only apply our training in scientific and technical capabilities, but the compassionate care that our patients and their families need in times of ill-health. For some this year will have brought many challenges, both professional and personal, and I hope that as you reflect you will take time to acknowledge your resilience in the face of these challenges. 2024 is going to be another massive year for all of us in healthcare, and I relish the opportunity of interacting with many of you throughout the coming year. Finally, special thanks to Dr Mark Avery our editor and Yaping Liu who helps put this journal together so professionally. I wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy Festive Season.

Rudolph, the kids’ ward reindeer: a scoping review of the effects of support animals on the well-being of healthcare staff

BackgroundMany systematic reviews identify support animals or animal assisted activity as a beneficial and standard practice in several medical disciplines for patients (children, adolescents, and adults) and residents in care homes. A variety of animals are used such as dogs, cats, ponies, horses, alpacas, reindeer, penguins, rabbits, and tarantulas. Our objective was to explore the evidence regarding effects of animal assisted activity on a further population of interest; namely, healthcare staff.MethodsWe asked the question “how do support animals in healthcare settings affect the well-being of healthcare staff?” As an addendum, we were also interested in what - possibly more unique - animals have visited healthcare settings at Christmas time in particular. We conducted a scoping literature review using PubMed and Web of Science (search as of 26 April 2023). ResultsTwenty studies (in the USA, Australia, Europe; dogs: n = 19; cats: n = 1) since 2002 included: studies with biological measures (n = 3), longitudinal survey studies with analyses (n = 5), cross-sectional survey studies with analyses (n = 2), and cross-sectional survey studies with descriptive statistics (n = 10). Overall, animal assisted activities appear to be well-received by staff and there do not seem to be negative impacts on staff well-being.ConclusionsRelevant positive effects and avenues of research are identified. Our review suggests that, but not exactly how, animal assisted activity benefits staff. Study evidence is limited with most studies being cross-sectional, descriptive, having low participant numbers, and mostly only involving dogs. Nonetheless, the evidence is mostly positive. The potential of animal assisted activities impacting positively on staff well-being warrants systematic research. Gaps in hard-fact-evidence should not deter us – especially at the festive season – to encourage work with, and systematic research regarding, support animals that provide warmth, empathy, comfort, and more in healthcare settings.

In Case You Haven't Heard…

The United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy on Dec. 4 launched the 5‐for‐5 Connection Challenge, calling on Americans to take five actions over five days to build more connection in their lives, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) news release stated. Dr. Murthy recently issued this challenge to students across the country on his “We Are Made to Connect” college tour, which concluded in early December. As we enter the holiday season, the 5‐for‐5 Connection Challenge aims to inspire people of all ages to build, strengthen, and prioritize their relationships. For the next two weeks, from Dec. 4 to 15, the Surgeon General will encourage people to take five actions over five days that express gratitude, offer support to, or ask for help from people in their lives. These types of actions are outlined in the Surgeon General's advisory, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” (www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon‐general‐social‐connection‐advisory.pdf) as some of the ways that people can catalyze social connection. As outlined in the advisory, social connection can advance physical, mental and cognitive health, and it is even associated with a decreased risk of mortality.

ECONOMIC LOSSES FROM THE DISRUPTION OF THE TOURIST SEASON IN THE VILLAGE OF SICHAVKA OF THE LYMAN (COMINTERNIV) DISTRICT

The Ukrainian economy and the tourism sector are experiencing the biggest crisis in recent decades. Inbound tourism practically ceased to exist. Due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, the holiday season was not opened this year either on the Sea of Azov or the Black Sea. The war destroyed the holiday season by 90%. A large part of the sea coast is occupied by the enemy, and in places where there is access to the sea, the risk of shelling and mines remains. Odesa regional military administration and Odesa city hall decided not to open sea beaches - due to mine danger. The mining of the Black Sea is a huge problem for both people and the environment, now there are several hundred mines in the water area - up to six hundred and some of them are Ukrainian, stolen in Sevastopol by the Russians back in 2014 after the occupation of Crimea. Travel companies in Ukraine almost completely stopped business on February 24. Air flights stopped and hotels accepted displaced people. The tourism industry, which, according to the State Statistics Service, brought 3% of GDP to the budget of Ukraine, and according to expert estimates, up to 7%, has suffered almost the biggest losses since the beginning of the war. In addition to the absence of vacationers, losses are also caused by enemy ammunition. Russian mines hit the shores of the sea, detonating and damaging first-line recreation centers, cafes and bars. In May of this year, it was planned to allow tourists to sunbathe on some beaches and began actively offering accommodation services. However, at dawn on June 6, it became known about the partial destruction of the Kakhovskaya HPP dam The destruction of the dam led to a huge ecological disaster. As a result of the detonation, a huge area was flooded - tons of dirt, poisonous substances along with the ruins of buildings and thousands of dead animals were carried into the Black Sea. Tourists who came to the sea a few days before the explosion of the Kakhovskaya HPP witnessed frogs jumping out of the sea, wild ducks swimming, trees and driftwood. Here and there there were islands of reeds on the shore. There were green spots on the surface of the water. After what they saw, vacationers began to cancel hotel reservations en masse and returned home. At the same time, losses to the hotel business amounted to hundreds of thousands of hryvnias. Between the cities of Yuzhne and Koblevо, there are 29 tourist accommodation facilities. These are collective accommodation facilities located in the recreation area of the village. Sychivka, each of which can accommodate 200 people on average. Sychavka is a village in the Lymanskyi (Cominternivskyi) district of the Odesa region, which is located on the shore of the Black Sea. The main advantages of recreation in Sychavka are the proximity of the Black Sea, a sandy beach strip, a gentle descent into the sea convenient for children, and the complete absence of industrial enterprises. There are no five-star hotels in Sychavka, but there are several recreation centers right on the shore of the Black Sea. If desired, vacationers can rent rooms in detached houses or cottages. According to preliminary estimates, the economic losses from the disruption of the tourist season in this area amount to approximately 300,000,000 hryvnias.

Importance of traditions and family business at Christmas: a quantitative analysis of practices and values in Portugal

PurposeChristmas is the most consumed event of the year, always full of traditions, namely family ones, which are very significant. In this way, it is intended to find out the importance of traditions at Christmas time and analyze their implications for family businesses.Design/methodology/approachThe study is quantitative in nature, based on a questionnaire survey carried out with 551 Portuguese individuals, over 18 years of age, where different issues related to Christmas traditions and family are addressed.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the Christmas traditions scale is made up of four factors: family traditions on Christmas Eve, aspects related to the Christmas spirit, changes in Christmas traditions with the COVID-19 pandemic and traditions of participating in events with family at Christmas. Cod and octopus dishes are the most popular dishes on Christmas Eve. In relation to sweets/desserts, king cake, rabanadas, vermicelli, children's bread and sponge cake are the most common on Christmas Eve.Originality/valueThe study helps to understand Portuguese Christmas traditions, providing knowledge that allows defining strategies for family businesses, improving the experience and relationship with consumers at a special time of year. It is hoped that the trends in Christmas traditions in this study will contribute to unveiling the Christmas spirit, also serve as a marketing image and create curiosity and motivation on the part of other cultures to visit Portugal during this festive season, in order to experience Christmas traditions.

In Case You Haven't Heard…

Nearly one‐third of U.S. adults anticipate that this holiday season will be more stressful than last year, with costs associated with holiday gifts and meals possibly contributing to this stress, according to a new poll released last week by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). APA's latest Healthy Minds Poll poll — which was fielded from Nov. 9 to 11 — asked 2,210 adults living in the United States to rank their anxiety about current events (for example, international conflict and inflation) as well as holiday activities/obligations. APA has polled about holiday mental health for the past three years. Of the holiday stressors respondents were asked to assess, 51% expressed at least some worry about their ability to afford holiday gifts, and 23% reported being very worried about affording gifts. Similarly, 40% reported worry about finding and securing gifts, and 39% expressed worry about affording holiday meals. As has been the case for much of 2023, anxiety about inflation, a recession, and gun violence dominated the top worries listed by U.S. adults. In contrast, worries about the COVID‐19 pandemic remained consistently low in comparison with other current events.

Good tidings for bad breath sufferers

Sharon Kidd explores how patients can combat bad breath over the festive season.

Front and Back Covers, Volume 39, Number 6. December 2023

Front and back cover caption, volume 39 issue 6CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS POWERThe jolly figure of Santa Claus, tankard in hand as he rests his feet atop a sack of toys, invites us to ponder the mystery behind this iconic Christmas emblem. Who is the real Santa, and what is his relationship to adults and children during the holiday season? This image of Santa on the cover of Puck magazine's 1896 Christmas edition alludes to the complex web of secrecy and revelation that enables Santa to materialize each year.As Martí Torra Merín explores in the accompanying article, Santa Claus and other Christmas figures occupy a unique position in contemporary Western cultures. Their ‘existence’ relies upon the innocence projected onto children, who serve as conduits to the magical realm. Yet children's agency in navigating this process has been overlooked. Through an ethnographic study in Catalonia, the article reveals that even young children detect inconsistencies in Santa's portrayal, and older children may feign ignorance of the ‘secret’ to prolong the magic.Far from fragile, children's awareness empowers their agency. Their liminal position, privy to the ‘public secret’ that adults both disbelieve in Santa and expect children's innocence, allows for clever navigation of cultural expectations. Like Puck's impish character, children toe the line between innocence and cunning. Ultimately, the article argues, recognizing children's agency is key to understanding how Santa materializes each Christmas through intricate social performances between adults and youth. This image encapsulates that interplay, with Santa as the symbolic connector between magical worlds and everyday realities.SEX AND GENDER ARE INSEPARABLEThis back cover image* visually embodies the guest editorial's exploration of how the complex interplay between sex and gender defies conventional binary perceptions.The left circle, ‘sex’, includes the biological aspects of our being, encompassing our evolved physical attributes, biomaterial processes and bodily characteristics that are often, albeit incorrectly, assumed to be fixed and immutable. It acknowledges biomateriality as a dynamic process more than a static ‘thing’.The right circle, ‘gender’, encapsulates the roles, behaviours and identities shaped through socialization within various social groups and cultural constructs. It signifies the fluid and dynamic nature of how we express and identify ourselves in society, which is not necessarily aligned with biological sex.At the intersection of these two spheres lies the ‘gender/sex’ overlap, a space that acknowledges the co‐construction of hormones and behaviour. This area represents the ongoing interplay and feedback loops between our biological traits and the social roles we embody. It is a recognition that hormones can influence behaviours that society reads as gendered and, conversely, that our social experiences and behaviours can affect our biological functions, such as hormone levels.This diagram illustrates how sex and gender are deeply intertwined, each influencing and shaping the other in a continuous dance. It is a powerful representation of the biosocial nature of human identity, where biological and social influences are inseparable and in constant interaction, creating a spectrum of diversity that defies the simplistic bimodal model.This image underscores the message of the guest editorial, advocating for a nuanced understanding of human identity that respects and reflects the complex realities of our lives.* From: S. van Anders 2022. Gender/sex/ual diversity and biobehavioural research. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Advance online publication.

FIRECRACKERS, GEERTZ, AND GREEN ISLAM

This paper intends to reexamine the theory of religious congruence from Clifford Geertz, which, whether we realize it or not, has become the basic assumption of Green Islam discourse. Textual studies and various activities of Green Islam have given birth to hope and optimism that Green Islam can form environmentally friendly behavior among the Ummah. This optimism in turn encourages scholars to examine Green Islam empirically, the firecracker explosion incident during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr is a test case for this optimism. By using qualitative research methods and a living religion approach, the phenomenon of firecracker detonation was observed, and the perpetrators of the firecracker were interviewed. As a result, the firecracker explosion not only questions the optimism toward Green Islam but also presents theoretical problems regarding religious incompatibility. The orientation of firecracker explosions stems from assumptions and sheer enjoyment or can be described as an overflow or expression of joy in welcoming the festive season, disregarding the tranquillity of those in the vicinity. This is a basic problem in Green Islam studies to find new paths.

Fat-Proofing Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas: Exploring Behavioral Solutions to Holiday Weight Gain

People overeat during the holidays and gain on average 1.1 pounds from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve. Participant observers compiled over 100 different insights on factors cause people to overeat during the holiday season. Each trap that was identified was paired with some advice from that insider on how to prevent the overeating. Insights were categorized based the social aspects of the meal, the influence of proximate others, and the layout of the food. These indulgent insights will be useful to help prevent people from overeating during the holiday season and has the potential to prevent weight gain and health decreases that are paired with the winter months.

Cross Contamination during Simulated Food Pantry Handling of Apples, Oranges and Potatoes

Food pantries receive, store, distribute and serve food to hundreds of people throughout a community. Safe food handling during all these activities is of paramount importance or food may support growth of pathogens and result in foodborne illnesses after consumption. Year round, and more frequently during holiday seasons, food pantries are seeking food donations to support people in need. Since most food pantries products are donated, the safety of these products from a health perspective can be tricky. The quality of food donations coupled with the way food is handled in these facilities can pose major safety concerns. To determine the potential for transfer of bacteria during handling of food at food pantries, apples, potatoes and oranges were inoculated with a non-pathogenic, fluorescently-labeled strain of Escherichia coli, then handled with gloved hands after which another non-inoculated apple, potato or orange was handled. E. coli was then enumerated from each piece of food and gloves to determine the transfer rate from the inoculated piece of food to gloves and the non-inoculated food. The average transfer rate from the inoculated food to gloves was 36.4%, from glove to un-inoculated food was 42.4% and from the inoculated food to un-inoculated food was 15.2%. Whether it be from surfaces or hands, cross-contamination of food and surfaces can readily occur and can result in increased likelihood of illness unless proper hygiene is employed. Food pantries can reduce the likelihood of microbial cross-contamination using proper handwashing techniques, and sanitation of surfaces and utensils. Proper hygiene is critical for food pantries to reduce the likelihood of bacterial transfer to previously uncontaminated surfaces.